Cactaceae plant

#The invention relates to a new and distinct plant variety of the Cactaceae family and which has been named the Zygocactus truncatus `Red Radiance` by the inventor.

#Certain plant varieties of the Cactaceae family are well known in the foliage plant market and among those are those of the truncatus species of the Zygocactus genus. These varieties tend to bloom in the months of November and December in the Northern Hemisphere and hence they appear in the retail market area primarily during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons and wherein they are commonly referred to as a "Christmas Cactus".

#The Zygocactus truncatus `Kris Kringle` forms the subject matter of U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,688 and has a heritage that includes the variety known commercially as `Christmas Cheer` and the variety known as Zygocactus truncatus `Parma`. It has a "reddish" colored bloom and a bloom life which provides a suitable shelf life at the retail level of sales. The variety also has a fast growth rate with substantial resistances to nutrient deficiencies and to fungus type diseases. The `Kris Kringle` variety also has a substantial resistance to flower bud abscission and is endowed with a natural tendency to branch without inducement by pruning during the growth period preceding blooming. The growth rate, resistances, and branching tendencies are much sought after by growers of the so-called "Christmas Cactus" varieties.

#The accompanying drawings serve, by color photographic means, to illustrate the new plant variety and wherein:

#One sheet is a color photograph of an 11 month old plant specimen of the new plant variety with maturing buds, a second sheet contains photographs illustrating the bloom, and a third sheet embodies color photographs which further illustrate the bloom and parts thereof.

#The following is a detailed description of the new plant variety with colors and hues, unless otherwise clearly indicated by the text through the absence of color notations, being named in accord with the ISCC-NBS method of designating colors (U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, Circular 553, issued Nov. 1, 1955), the named colors being interpreted from color notations derived by comparison with the color specimens in the current "Neighboring Hues Edition" of the Munsell Book of Color, published by the Munsell Color Company, Inc., of Baltimore, Md. The following description is further based on observations of well fertilized plants of less than one year of age from initial propagation and which were grown under 50-75% shaded glasshouse nursery conditions in the Winter Garden, Fla., area and wherein temperatures range from 60.degree. to 85.degree. F. during the winter months, from 75.degree. to 95.degree. F. during the summer months and are ambient during intervening periods.

#Name: Zygocactus truncatus `Red Radiance`.

#Parentage: